Percy's and Annabeth's re-adventures: The Lightning Thief
by G.e.e.k.s and N.e.r.d.s
Summary: Percy and Annabeth have to go back in time and save Olympus again. There are the only ones who have their memory. Will they screw up everything or will they succeed in all the hardships and victories?
1. The Beginning

**A/N: This is G.e.e.k.s and my first story takes place a year after The Last Olympian. Also as mine and N.e.r.d.s signature move so to speak, we will be featured in this story and future ones.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Percy Jackson and the Olympians.**

Percy's POV

I just woke up on chair with my hands tied to my back. My mouth was duct-taped and my eyes were blind-folded. After moving my mouth in various directions I managed to get the duct-tape off. "WHAT THE HECK IS GOING ON!"

"Percy? Is that you?" said a girl's voice.

I turned my head to the sound of Annabeth's voice. "Yeah, it's me. What's -"

"SSSHHHH, I hear voices be quiet" she whispered.

"Nick, we need to wake them up now. There is not a lot of time left." said a girl's voice.

"Okay, I know! I'll move the female hero. Gabs, you take the male sidekick." said who I figured would be Nick.

"Hey! I am not a freaking sidekick!" I said.

SLAP!

OW! I just got hit in the face … hard.

"Well, look who is awake. Oh and by the way you are the sidekick." said the girl who must be Gabs.

"HAHAHAHA!" laughed Annabeth. "You are a sidekick and I am a hero! In. Your. Face."

SLAP!

"What the heck! I am going to kick your butt!" thrashed an angry Annabeth.

"Stop playing bad guy Gabs! We need them to save the world." said Nick.

**A/N: So how was the first chapter? More is coming soon. Tell me reviews on how you liked it and how to make the story better. By the way, I am sorry it was really short ****.**


	2. Escape time!

**A/N: sorry I didn't write over the weekend. I was partying with my loser brother and my friends. Also yesterday I was busy, didn't have time.**

**N.e.r.d.s: Hey just because you had to party with me and our friends doesn't mean you should take it out on me. Oprah says to channel your anger into punching a pillow.**

**G.e.e.k.s: The hell when did you come?! I was writing this story by myself! Oh and please show me the episode when Oprah said that?!**

**N.e.r.d.s: I'll show you that episode later. Now let's just get on with this story.**

**G.e.e.k.s: We do not own Percy Jackson and the Olympians. **

Annabeth's POV

When I get free from these ropes I am going to punch that girl in the throat. Just then someone was untying my blindfolds. I think it was Nick. He smells like mint Oreos, hmm I wonder if he would give me some. I'll have to ask him later, because right now Gabs was explaining stuff.

She said, "Ok so you guys have to go back in time and return Zeus's lightning bolt again."

"Wait why the hell do we have to do that again?" I said.

"Ok, here is a hint, one of Hermes's stupid kid thought it would be funny to steal the most important thing in the universe, time." said Gabs.

My blindfold just came off. The walls were made out of stone bricks. Nick was wearing a blue and black horizontally striped shirt that slightly showed off his six-pack, with blue jeans with white Nike's on his feet. He was sandy-blond with dark caring blue eyes. Nick was a couple inches taller than Gabs who had long wavy brown hair that went down to her waist. She was wearing a green v-neck with a white tank-top underneath. She had the same dark piercing blue eyes as Nick. Gabs wore skinny-black jeans with Air Jordan black and green shoes. That had what looks like neon green laces. Both of them looked about sixteen.

We were in a huge stone brick room with a dry-erase board as the floor with building designs drawn all over it and one huge window to the left, but there was a curtain covering it so I couldn't see where we were. The designs on the floor were spectacular. They were better than anything on Daedalus's laptop. The designs to buildings that I never even thought possible to build were all right there. If I got the chance, I would take some notes. I could use this to redesign Olympus. Too bad it would take forever to sketch this all down.

"I see you took an interest in my designs. Sadly, I won't be able to use any of them, because it is too 'out of reach' to build all of this. The mortal world just can't handle it." said Gabs.

"Wait, but if I can get into my laptop, I could put this in and put it in Olympus. You see I was put in charge of redesigning it." I said hopefully.

"No, you can't because you have to save the world. There's just not enough time." said Nick.

I look over to Percy who is focusing at a pipe along the wall that I didn't even see. If he could control the water we might be able to get free. My dagger surprisingly along with Riptide because Riptide usually reappears in Percy's pocket as a pen were both in the corner of the room. Gabs started saying that we should get a good rest and that in the morning we would start. She was walking around the room while saying that we shouldn't try to escape and what not. Also that one of them would be keeping watch the whole time. She walked in front of me and I stuck my foot out and tripped her. Then I tried scooting as fast as I could to the weapons while Percy was laughing hysterically with Nick. She got up and pulled me away from the weapons. I was so close of getting them too.

She said, "You think you're a smartass huh, well you're not asshole!"

SLAP!

"OH YOU DID NOT JUST DO THAT!"

I kicked my legs out trying to hit her. I thrashed and thrashed, but she was too far. Then my chair fell backwards on the floor. Percy and Nick started laughing harder if that was even possible. Gabs refused to let me up and Nick thought it was a bad idea to disobey Gabs when she was mad. Then I got so exhausted of trying to get up so I blacked out. Of course, I just _had_ to have a nightmare.


	3. Decked out!

**Disclaimer: I do not own Percy Jackson and the Olympians.**

Percy's POV

That night I really didn't sleep. I was just thinking about stuff and trying to answer stuff I didn't quite understand. I thought about how Riptide was in the corner and that I couldn't control the water in the pipe. It seemed that there was some type of magic at work here. Were Nick and Gabs wizards or something? No, that can't be possible.

Annabeth suddenly started squirming in her chair. Her face looked worried and she kept saying, "No . . . no. Take me . . . not him." She must be having a nightmare. I wonder how Annabeth fell asleep laying on her back like that. It must feel very uncomfortable. I also wonder who she was talking about and who she was talking _to._

Just then a pretty girl . . . I mean Gabs walked through the door, startling Nick who was leaning against it. She was wearing a purple T-shirt, a grey hoodie, sweatpants, and black leather boots. Her hair was in a high pony-tail which made her hair look a couple inches shorter.

She said, "Get up! Nick go change clothes. I'll handle the other guys."

Annabeth jerked awake to the sound of her voice, "Percy! Nooo!" Her voice went down to a whisper and she said, "I love you too. I just can't believe you're gone."

I blushed and said, "Annabeth, what were you dreaming about last night?"

"Nothing! I wasn't dreaming about anything!" Annabeth seemed scared and I decided to let it drop . . . for now anyways.

Nick already left and just walked in with new clothes. He wore a red and black plaid shirt with sleeves rolled up. Nick's collar had a couple buttons undone. One hand was in the pocket of his black jeans and the other held a bagel to his mouth. Nick was wearing black and white sneakers. He closed the door behind him, leaned against it, and put one foot on the door chewing the rest of his bagel. Then he put both his hands in his pocket and he looked like a regular teenager. I was still in my Camp Half-Blood orange T-shirt, blue jeans, and white sneakers.

"So, any chance Annabeth and I will get decked out in new clothes too?" I said hopefully.

"Sure, maybe I can give you a tour of my closet and let you take some stuff." Nick said.

"Before we do that, will someone please get me off the ground?" Annabeth said.

"Oh right, I'll untie you guys and we can get you cleaned up. Then we'll show you around and get yah something to eat." Gabs said.

Gabs untied me then Annabeth. I rubbed my wrists and stood up wobbly at first. Annabeth rolled off her chair and made a wild grab for our weapons and slammed into an invisible force or something. She rubbed her head and followed Gabs out the door. Nick started to follow them, but he stopped at the door and turned to me.

"Come on. Let's get you into the showers." He motioned for me to follow him.

Annabeth's POV

What was that thing I slammed into when I tried to get to the weapons? Hmm, I'll have to ask Nick. The water in Gab's shower was warm and nice. The shower was huge too. I officially love this place, but not that much love for Gabs. Something about her made me really uh uncomfortable.

_Knock, knock. _"Annabeth, um . . . come to the dining hall. It's down the hall, first door on the left." It was Nick's voice.

I turned off the shower and put on the clothes Gabs put out for me. It was a light blue sweater with a black heart on it. Also there were dark blue skinny-jeans with a pair of blue and black laced boots. I rolled up the sleeves of the sweater and walked through the door. In the dining hall Percy was eating a blue donut, and laughing about something with Nick. Gabs was sketching something on a large piece of paper. Nick had a glass of orange juice in front of him on the table.

As for the room, it was huge with tables along the stone walls that had a bunch of food on them-donuts, bagels, toasted bread, pancakes, etc. A long table was in the middle of the room where everyone was sitting. There were huge paintings on the walls of nature settings. Grover would love this if he were here. They showed mountains, beaches, trees, and much other nature stuff. The paintings were spaced out by windows that showed other nature settings. So I still had no clue where we were.

"Hey, who painted those paintings on the walls?" I asked.

"Nick did, isn't he amazing at it?" Percy said.

"Well, they were just free-hand so not really that good." Nick sounded embarrassed.

"Let's face it, they're fantastic. I wish Grover was here to see them." I said sitting down next to Percy with toasted bread in my hand.

"Now I'll tell you the directions. Percy you are about to go back to when you first arrived at Camp Half-Blood. You will kill the Minotaur and save Grover. Then, Annabeth will come in."

Gabs sounded annoyed. Probably sounded like that because we were complimenting her brother. She then snapped her fingers and a purple portal appeared at the end of the table that showed a red Camaro getting chased by the Minotaur.


	4. New relationships brewing?

**Disclaimer: We do not own Percy Jackson and the Olympians.**

Percy's POV

"Ok, when you first saw the Minotaur, what was your first thought?" Nick asked. I remembered that day perfectly, the day I thought I lost my mom and I found out I was a half-blood.

"Um, well I knew I had to do everything I could to protect my mom and I just couldn't let Grover get hurt."

I looked up and saw a softer look than before in Gab's eyes. She looked a kind of understanding and sorry for me. It was like she knew how I felt that day. When she saw me starring she slapped me hard on my cheek and said "Pay attention, Jackson!"Then Nick touched her lightly on the arm and said she can assault me _after_ we get everything cleared up. She gave me a hard glance and crossed her arms, so I continued.

"Of course I was scared, but then my fighting instincts came in. I'm not sure what I was doing, but I somehow defeated the Minotaur."

I thought I was starting to sound cocky so I said something like, "Thank the Gods my dad helped me." Nick thanked me for that information and asked Annabeth, "Since you aren't in this part of the story, would you help me paint new designs on the ceiling?"

She nodded warily and then started babbling something about architecture. That left me in a room alone with Gabs. Why did she have to be so pretty? I mean so scary. (Awkward)

Annabeth's POV

Wow Nick was really talented and now that I notice, he is extremely cute. I started thing about an alternate universe, where Nick was my boyfriend and not Percy. Wait, what was I thinking? Percy is my boyfriend and I love him, but could I also have feelings for Nick? Just then Nick snapped me back into reality, "Annabeth, I'm going to get a ladder so we can reach the ceiling. Could you get the paint at the end of the hall?" I nodded and went to get the paint, but I got lost and ended up in Nick's room. He had drawn the Gods on the walls and I wondered why. Then I saw something sticking out from under his pillow. I walked over and pulled it out, it was his journal. Nick wrote all about someone he called cupcake, whose real name was Carol. I was suddenly jealous. I put the journal back, grabbed the paint at the end of hall and went back to the room we were painting.

Nick was setting up the ladder. When he was finished he said, "Paint whatever you want. I want this room to be filled with a bunch of small memories, if you know what I'm talking about."

"I know what you mean. I have the perfect idea on what to paint." I said. I started up the ladder and was almost at the top when I fell off. In like half a second I was thinking about how many bones I was going to break. I counted about six before Nick caught me in his arms. I just couldn't help but think about how good his lips looked right then. I leaned in and so did he. We kissed for a while before Percy and Gabs walked in.

"What the hell?" they said at the same time.

Percy's POV

Annabeth took a step away from Nick and wouldn't meet my eyes. Annabeth seemed very interested in her shoes. "I can explain all of this." said Nick. "You better start talking before I punch you in your freakin face." I said angrily. "Can I beat the shit out of Nick too?" Gabs said while smirking. "Whoa, I understand Percy wanting to beat me up, but not you Gabs."

"Yeah, I want to beat you up. We are not allowed to have relationships with them. Last time you got too attached was with Carol. Now, we are stuck with this stupid curse. You just couldn't leave her there because you felt so bad."

"Hey, it is not my fault considering who our mother is. You have always been jealous cause you didn't get her side. But don't worry because you write about Percy in your journal all the time. So I guess that means you actually do have a heart."

"Umm . . ." I said embarrassed.

"NICK, YOU READ MY JOURNAL! I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU WOULD HAVE THE NERVE TO DO THAT! IT'S ALWAYS THE APHRODITE KIDS WHO STICK THEIR NOSES IN OTHER PEOPLE'S BUSINESS! I AM SO GOING TO KILL YOU!" Gabs screamed. Nun chucks appeared in Gab's hand. They had blades sticking out of the end of them. A dagger appeared in her other hand. I ran to the corner and hid.

Annabeth coughed. "Speaking of journal reading, I um read your journal Nick."

"YOU DID WHAT?" Nick said. A belt filled with flaming throwing knives appeared on Nick's waist. I wasn't sure who was more dangerous. Nick or Gabs? Annabeth slowly walked backwards into the corner I was hiding at.

Nick took out a throwing knife and threw it right at Gab's head. Gabs dodged it swiftly and easily. She started laughing and said, "You can't beat me. Don't you remember that Ares is our dad and I got his side? "

"How could I forget? You act just like him." Nick growled.

Annabeth whispered, "That would explain the slapping."

"So, Ares is their dad and Aphrodite is their mom?" I whispered back.

"Yeah, Nick is a God and Gabs is a Goddess." Annabeth said.

I would say for about five minutes Gabs and Nick were fighting. Gabs pinned Nick against the wall with a dagger against his throat. Nick put his hands up in surrender. She released him and said that Annabeth and I could come out now. Gabs asked, "Percy, are you ready to go back in time now? Do you remember what you have to do?" I gulped, "Yeah, I remember."

"Good." Gabs snapped her fingers and the portal we saw before appeared again. I took a deep breath and walked through the portal. I was in the back of the red Camaro with my mom driving and Grover sitting next to me.


	5. Percy Screwed Up!

**A/N: Gabs here, don't tell Nick but I'm writing without him. I just felt bad that we haven't written in a while. So, here's a chapter to read before Nick and I write together.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Percy Jackson and the Olympians.**

Percy's POV

I soon as I got in the backseat of Gabe's Camaro, I saw how dark it was outside. I looked in the mirror at my mother's worried face. I couldn't have been happier to see her. The rain was hitting hard on the windshield and lightning was flashing. I glanced next to me at Grover. He was shaking badly and the car smelled like wet barnyard animal. A weird bellowing noise rose up somewhere behind us. I knew from that sound that it was the Minotaur getting ready to eat us or something.

My mom made a hard left. We swerved onto a narrower road, racing past darkened farmhouses and wooded hills and PICK YOUR OWN STRAWBERRIES signs on white picket fences. We were getting closer to Camp Half-Blood . . . and to fighting the Minotaur.

"We're almost there," my mother said. "Another mile. Please. Please. Please."

My mom pulled the wheel hard to the right, and I got a glimpse of a figure she'd swerved to avoid—a dark fluttering shape now lost behind us in the storm. I was getting more terrified by the second because it was second closer to my mom getting taken. I thought to myself that maybe I could prevent that from happening.

All of a sudden, the hair rose on the back of my neck. There was a blinding flash, a jaw-rattling _boom!_, and our car exploded. I remember feeling weightless, like I was being crushed, fried, and hosed down all at the same time.

I peeled my forehead off the back of the driver's seat and said, "Ow."

"Percy!" my mom shouted.

"I'm okay. . ."

I tried to shake off the daze. I wasn't dead. The car hadn't really exploded. We'd swerved into a ditch. Our driver's-side doors were wedged in the mud. The roof had cracked open like an eggshell and rain was pouring in.

Lightning. That was the only explanation. We'd been blasted right off the road. Next to me in the backseat was a big motionless lump. "Grover!"

He was slumped over, blood trickling from the side of his mouth. I shook his furry hip, thinking, No! I let this happen again. I could have stopped Grover from getting hurt. But I knew deep down that wasn't the case.

Then he groaned "Food," and I knew that nothing changed. He was still the always hungry Grover that was my best friend.

"Percy," my mother said, "we have to ..." Her voice faltered.

I looked back. In a flash of lightning, through the mud-spattered rear windshield, I saw a figure lumbering toward us on the shoulder of the road. The sight of it made my skin crawl. It was a dark silhouette of a huge guy, like a football player. He seemed to be holding a blanket over his head. His top half was bulky and fuzzy. His upraised hands made it look like he had horns.

"Percy." my mother said, deadly serious. "Get out of the car."

My mother threw herself against the driver's-side door. It was jammed shut in the mud. I tried mine. Stuck too. I looked up desperately at the hole in the roof. It might've been an exit, but the edges were sizzling and smoking.

"Climb out the passenger's side!" my mother told me. "Percy—you have to run. Do you see that big tree?"

"What?"

Another flash of lightning, and through the smoking hole in the roof I saw the tree she meant: a huge, White House Christmas tree-sized pine at the crest of the nearest hill. In other words, it was Thalia.

"That's the property line," my mom said. "Get over that hill and you'll see a big farmhouse down in the valley. Run and don't look back. Yell for help. Don't stop until you reach the door."

"Mom, you're coming too."

Her face was pale, her eyes as sad as when she looked at the ocean.

"No!" I shouted. "You are coming with me. Help me carry Grover."

"Food!" Grover moaned, a little louder.

The man with the blanket on his head kept coming toward us, making his grunting, snorting noises. As he got closer, I realized he couldn't be holding a blanket over his head, because his hands—huge meaty hands—were swinging at his sides. There was no blanket. Meaning the bulky, fuzzy mass that was too big to be his head ... was his head. And the points that looked like horns...

"He doesn't want us," my mother told me. "He wants you. Besides, I can't cross the property line."

"But..."

"We don't have time, Percy. Go. Please."

I got mad, then—mad at my mother, at Grover, at the Minotaur chasing us.

I climbed across Grover and pushed the door open into the rain. "We're going together. Come on, Mom."

"I told you—"

"Mom! I am not leaving you. Help me with Grover."

I didn't wait for her answer. I scrambled outside, dragging Grover from the car. He was surprisingly light, but I couldn't have carried him very far if my mom hadn't come to my aid.

Together, we draped Grover's arms over our shoulders and started stumbling uphill through wet waist-high grass.

Glancing back, I got my first clear look at the monster. He was seven feet tall, easy, his arms and legs like something from the cover of Muscle Man magazine—bulging biceps and triceps and a bunch of other 'ceps, all stuffed like baseballs under vein-webbed skin. He wore no clothes except underwear—I mean, bright white Fruit of the Looms—which would've looked funny, except that the top half of his body was so scary. Coarse brown hair started at about his belly button and got thicker as it reached his shoulders.

His neck was a mass of muscle and fur leading up to his enormous head, which had a snout as long as my arm, snotty nostrils with a gleaming brass ring, cruel black eyes, and horns—enormous black-and-white horns with points you just couldn't get from an electric sharpener. Even though I fought tons of monsters, I still pissed my pants looking at the thing.

The pine tree was still way too far—a hundred yards uphill at least.

I glanced behind me again.

The bull-man hunched over our car, looking in the windows—or not looking, exactly. More like snuffling, nuzzling. I wasn't sure why he bothered, since we were only about fifty feet away.

The Minotaur bellowed in rage. He picked up Gabe's Camaro by the torn roof, the chassis creaking and groaning. He raised the car over his head and threw it down the road. It slammed into the wet asphalt and skidded in a shower of sparks for about half a mile before coming to a stop. The gas tank exploded.

Not a scratch, I remembered Gabe saying.

Oops. Well, I guess he deserved it. I smirked at what Gabe's face reaction would be once he saw this on the news.

"Percy," my mom said. "When he sees us, he'll charge. Wait until the last second, then jump out of the way— directly sideways. He can't change directions very well once he's charging. Do you understand?" I had a better idea than jumping out the way. Let's just say this is what I thought would happen:

_Percy V.S. The Minotaur_

_Round 1_

_Begin!_

Turns out it was way worse than you could ever imagine.

We heard another bellow of rage, and the bull-man started tromping uphill.

He smelled us.

The pine tree was only a few more yards, but the hill was getting steeper and slicker, and Grover wasn't getting any lighter. The bull-man closed in. Another few seconds and he'd be on top of us.

My mother must've been exhausted, but she shouldered Grover. "Go, Percy! Separate! Remember what I said."

I didn't want to split up, but I had the feeling she was right—it was our only chance. I sprinted to the left, turned, and saw the creature bearing down on me. His black eyes glowed with hate. He reeked like rotten meat.

He lowered his head and charged, those razor-sharp horns aimed straight at my chest.

I waited until he was close enough to unleash my genius plan. I made a fatal mistake by reaching in my pocket for Riptide thinking that I could just kill the Minotaur with a swoop of my sword. It was too late for me to jump to the side and I thought that I was done for. I managed to duck in an attempt to protect myself. I got hit hard and moved forward backed up against a tree. The Minotaur's horns right above my head got stuck in the tree. I was getting slammed repeatedly in the Minotaur's desperate attempts in getting free.

I rolled out of the way badly bruised and throbbing sensation in my head.

The Minotaur got free but with one of its horns. The other was embedded in the tree. The Minotaur then charged my mother. I pulled on the horn trying to get it out. I pulled and pulled on the horn but it wouldn't budge. Then I heard a pop of horn getting free and I accidently punched myself in the eye by doing so.

I picked the horn off the ground and turned to save my mother but it was too late. I saw my mom try to sidestep, as she'd told me to do, but the monster was not going to let her get away. His hand shot out and grabbed her by the neck as she tried to get away. He lifted her as she struggled, kicking and pummeling the air.

"Mom!" I was sprinting towards her.

She caught my eyes, managed to choke out one last word: "Go!"

Then, with an angry roar, the monster closed his fists around my mother's neck, and she dissolved before my eyes, melting into light, a shimmering golden form, as if she were a holographic projection. A blinding flash and she was simply ... gone.

"No!" I reached the back of the Minotaur and shoved the horn in its back.

The bull-man roared in agony. He flailed; clawing at his back, then began to disintegrate—not like my mother, in a flash of golden light, but like crumbling sand, blown away in chunks by the wind.

The monster was gone.

The rain had stopped. The storm still rumbled, but only in the distance. I smelled like livestock and my knees were shaking. My head felt like it was splitting open. I was weak and scared and trembling with grief I'd just seen my mother vanish for a second time. I failed her again. I wanted to lie down and cry, but there was Grover, needing my help, so I managed to haul him up and stagger down into the valley, toward the lights of the farmhouse. I was crying, calling for my mother, but I held on to Grover—I wasn't going to let him go.

The last thing I remember is collapsing on a wooden porch, looking up at a ceiling fan circling above me, moths flying around a yellow light, and the stern faces of a familiar-looking bearded man and a girl that looked a lot like Annabeth.

They both looked down at me, and the girl said, "He's the one. He must be."

"Silence, Annabeth," the man said. "He's still conscious. Bring him inside."


	6. Chiron knows

**A/N: BONUS CHAPTER! This chapter is two chapters in one! I decided to post two chapters from the book in this chapter. I hope everyone is happy with that. If not, then too bad. I guess you have to deal with it.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Percy Jackson and the Olympians.**

Percy's POV

I woke up to stare right at Annabeth's face with a spoonful of pudding shoved in my mouth that tasted like buttered popcorn. I was lying on a soft bed. Annabeth was smiling and said "I don't understand why I have hand-feed you."

I said, "Cause I am special, duh."

"Shut up." With that, I got a huge spoonful shoved in my mouth, which I choked on when I tried to say something.

Someone knocked on the door, and I passed out again.

Next time I woke up Annabeth was gone and Argus was standing in the corner of the room keeping watch over me.

When I finally came around for good, I was sitting in a deck chair on a huge porch, gazing across a meadow at green hills in the distance. The breeze smelled like strawberries. There was a blanket over my legs, a pillow behind my neck. All that was great, but my mouth felt like a scorpion had been using it for a nest. My tongue was dry and nasty and every one of my teeth hurt.

On the table next to me was a tall drink. It looked like iced apple juice, with a green straw and a paper parasol stuck through a maraschino cherry.

My hand was so weak I almost dropped the glass once I got my fingers around it.

"Careful," a familiar voice said.

Grover was leaning against the porch railing, looking like he hadn't slept in a week. Under one arm, he cradled a shoe box. He was wearing blue jeans, Converse hi-tops and a bright orange T-shirt that said CAMP HALF-BLOOD. It was just plain old Grover, not the goat boy.

"You saved my life," Grover said. "I... well, the least I could do ... I went back to the hill. I thought you might want this."

I mumbled, "It wouldn't be the first time I saved your life."

"What?"

"Uh I mean thanks."

He placed the shoebox on my lap.

Inside was a black-and-white bull's horn, the base jagged from being broken off, the tip splattered with dried blood.

"The Minotaur," I said.

"Urn, Percy, it isn't a good idea—"

"I know, I shouldn't have said that."

Grover shifted uncomfortably. "You've been out for two days. How much do you remember?"

"I remember everything, including what happened to my mom."

He looked down.

I stared across the meadow. There were groves of trees, a winding stream, acres of strawberries spread out under the blue sky. The valley was surrounded by rolling hills, and the tallest one, directly in front of us, was the one with the huge pine tree on top. Even that looked beautiful in the sunlight.

"I'm sorry," Grover sniffled. "I'm a failure. I'm—I'm the worst satyr in the world."

He moaned, stomping his foot so hard it came off. I mean, the Converse hi-top came off. The inside was filled with Styrofoam, except for a hoof-shaped hole.

"Oh, Styx!" he mumbled.

Thunder rolled across the clear sky.

Grover was still sniffling. The poor kid—poor goat, satyr, whatever—looked as if he expected to be hit.

I said, "It wasn't your fault."

"Yes, it was. I was supposed to _protect _you."

"We are both alive, I got us here safely."

"No. But that's my job. I'm a keeper. At least... I was."

"But why ..." I suddenly felt dizzy, my vision swimming.

"Don't strain yourself," Grover said. "Here" He helped me hold my glass and put the straw to my lips.

It was chocolate-chip cookies. Liquid cookies. And not just any cookies—my mom's homemade blue chocolate-chip cookies, buttery and hot, with the chips still melting. Drinking it, my whole body felt warm and good, full of energy. My grief didn't go away, but I felt as if my mom had just brushed her hand against my cheek, given me a cookie the way she used to when I was small, and told me everything was going to be okay.

Before I knew it, I'd drained the glass. I stared into it, sure I'd just had a warm drink, but the ice cubes hadn't even melted.

"Was it good?" Grover asked.

I nodded.

"What did it taste like?" He sounded so wistful, I felt guilty.

"Chocolate-chip cookies," I said. "My mom's. Homemade."

He took the empty glass from me gingerly, as if it were dynamite, and set it back on the table.

"Come on. Chiron and Mr. D are waiting."

As we came around the opposite end of the house, I caught my breath.

Down at the end of the porch, two men sat across from each other at a card table. Annabeth was leaning on the porch rail next to them.

The man facing me was small, but porky. He had a red nose, big watery eyes, and curly hair so black it was almost purple. He looked like those paintings of baby angels— what do you call them, hubbubs? No, cherubs. That's it. He looked like a cherub who'd turned middle-aged in a trailer park. He wore a tiger-pattern Hawaiian shirt, and I knew it was Mr. D. Mostly I knew it was him from the stupid look on his face. Then again that's how his face usually looked.

"That's Mr. D," Grover murmured to me. "He's the camp director. Be polite. The girl, that's Annabeth Chase. She's just a camper, but she's been here longer than just about anybody. And you already know Chiron..."

He pointed at the guy whose back was to me.

First, I realized he was sitting in the wheelchair. Then I recognized the tweed jacket, the thinning brown hair, the scraggly beard.

"Hey, Chiron."

Ah, good, Percy," he said. "Now we have four for pinochle."

He offered me a chair to the right of Mr. D, who looked at me with bloodshot eyes and heaved a great sigh. "Oh, I suppose I must say it. Welcome to Camp Half-Blood. There. Now, don't expect me to be glad to see you."

"Uh, thanks." I scooted a little farther away from him because, if there was one thing I had learned from living with Gabe, it was how to tell when an adult has been hitting the happy juice. Also Mr. D was weird and creepy.

If Mr. D was a stranger to alcohol, I was a satyr.

"Annabeth?" Chiron called to the blond girl.

She came forward and Chiron introduced us. "This young lady nursed you back to health, Percy. Annabeth, my dear, why don't you go check on Percy's bunk? We'll be putting him in cabin eleven for now."

Annabeth said, "Sure, Chiron."

I grinned at Annabeth. Annabeth said, "Stop smiling, Seaweed Brain." She smiled and took off sprinting down the lawn.

Chiron and Mr. D exchanged glances after Annabeth said Seaweed Brain and then they stared at me.

I gave them my most innocent look I could in a desperate attempt to get their attention off of me.

"I must say, Percy," Chiron broke in, "I'm glad to see you alive. It's been a long time since I've made a house call to a potential camper. I'd hate to think I've wasted my time."

"My year at Yancy Academy, to instruct you. We have satyrs at most schools, of course, keeping a lookout. But Grover alerted me as soon as he met you. He sensed you were something special, so I decided to come upstate. I convinced the other Latin teacher to ... ah, take a leave of absence."

Chiron nodded. "Honestly, I wasn't sure about you at first. We contacted your mother; let her know we were keeping an eye on you in case you were ready for Camp Half-Blood. But you still had so much to learn. Nevertheless, you made it here alive, and that's always the first test."

"Grover," Mr. D said impatiently, "are you playing or not?"

"Yes, sir!" Grover trembled as he took the fourth chair. Grover really needed to learn how to defend himself.

"You do know how to play pinochle?" Mr. D eyed me suspiciously.

"Yes, I do." I said. It has been a while, but I remember.

"Yes, I do sir," he said.

"Sir," I repeated. I can't believe I almost forget how annoying Mr. D was.

The camp director dealt the cards. Grover flinched every time one landed in his pile.

"Oh, a royal marriage. Trick! Trick!" Mr. D cackled as he tallied up his points.

"Mr. D," Grover asked timidly, "if you're not going to eat it, could I have your Diet Coke can?"

"Eh? Oh, all right."

Grover bit a huge shard out of the empty aluminum can and chewed it mournfully.

Mr. D turned back to his card game. "I believe I win."

"Nope." I said. I set down a straight, tallied the points, and said, "The game goes to me."

Mr. D gave a death stare as if he was going to vaporize me, but he just sighed. He stood up.

"I'm tired," Mr. D said. "I believe I'll take a nap before the sing-along tonight. But first, Grover, we need to talk, again, about your less-than-perfect performance on this assignment."

Grover's face beaded with sweat. "Y-yes, sir."

Mr. D turned to me. "Cabin eleven, Percy Jackson. And mind your manners."

He swept into the farmhouse, Grover following miserably.

"Congratulations on winning the game Percy." Chiron said.

"We should get you a bunk in cabin eleven. There will be new friends to meet. And plenty of time for lessons tomorrow. Besides, there will be s'mores at the campfire tonight, and I simply adore chocolate."

Chiron rose from his wheelchair. "What a relief," the centaur said. "I'd been cooped up in there so long, my fetlocks had fallen asleep. Now, come, Percy Jackson. Let's meet the other campers."

We passed the volleyball pit. Several of the campers nudged each other. One pointed to the Minotaur horn I was carrying. Another said, "That's him."

All of them stared at me as I followed Chiron. I forgot how embarrassing and awkward it was on my first day here.

We walked through the strawberry fields, where campers were picking bushels of berries while a satyr played a tune on a reed pipe.

Chiron told me the camp grew a nice crop for export to New York restaurants and Mount Olympus. "It pays our expenses," he explained. "And the strawberries take almost no effort."

He said Mr. D had this effect on fruit-bearing plants: they just went crazy when he was around. It worked best with wine grapes, but Mr. D was restricted from growing those, so they grew strawberries instead.

We saw the archery range, the canoeing lake, the stables (which Chiron didn't seem to lick very much), the javelin range, the sing-along amphitheater, and the arena where Chiron said they held sword and spear fights.

Finally, we reached the cabins. In the center of the field was a huge stone-lined fire pit. Even though it was a warm afternoon, the hearth smoldered. A girl about nine years old was tending the flames, poking the coals with a stick. I still don't understand why Hestia shows herself that way.

I must've said that out loud because Chiron said, "Percy, how did you know that was Hestia?"

I hesitated, "Uh, lucky guess?" I said.

He gave me a look that clearly asked "What are you up to?" He then moved on toward the cabins. As soon as we reached Poseidon's cabin I walked right in (old habits). Chiron rushed in and pulled me outside the door. "Percy, you are cabin eleven not cabin three."

"Oops!" I forced an embarrassing look which wasn't that hard to do.

"Later on, Annabeth, you, and I need to have a little chat."

I think I blew my cover. Chiron totally figured out that I was the son of Poseidon.

We passed cabin five. Inside the cabin was a bunch of mean-looking kids. I saw Clarisse and she zeroed in on me and gave me an evil sneer. I gave her the most amazing and spectacular grin ever. I swear I saw her blush a little.

Chiron said, "Oh, look, Annabeth is waiting for us."

She was reading a book in front of cabin eleven.

When we reached her, Chiron said "Annabeth take Percy from here. When you finish please come visit me in the archery range. Bring Percy with you."

"Yes, sir." She looked at me as if saying, "What did you do?"

I stared at my feet feeling extremely embarrassed. Naturally I tripped coming in the door and made a total fool of myself. There were some snickers from the campers, but none of them said anything.

Annabeth announced, "Percy Jackson, meet cabin eleven."

"Regular or undetermined?" somebody asked.

I was about to say regular when Annabeth covered my mouth and said, "Undetermined."

Everyone groaned and Annabeth whispered only loud enough for me to hear, "Remember that you can't blow your cover."

"Too late." I muttered.

"What do you mean 'too late'?"

"I think Chiron only wants to talk to us because he found out that I was Poseidon's son."

That was when we realized that everyone was staring at us and heard everything we said. There was a bunch of gasps and people saying, "What?" in shock.

Annabeth forced a laugh and said, "Percy was just kidding. Weren't you Percy?" She nudged me.

"Um yeah I was kidding. It was just a joke." I forced a smile. Everyone just stared at us. They didn't believe us one bit.

A guy who was a little older than the rest came forward. I recognized him immediately. It was Luke."Now, now, campers. Percy just wanted to lighten the mood. Welcome, Percy. You can have that spot on the floor, right over there."

I tensed once I saw him and Annabeth put her hand on my shoulder. "Percy meet Luke. He will be your counselor for now." Her voice changed. She sounded angry.

"I don't wanna be here." I mumbled.

"You're undetermined," Luke explained patiently. "They don't know what cabin to put you in, so you're here. Cabin eleven takes all newcomers, all visitors. Naturally, we would. Hermes, our patron, is the god of travelers."

"Come on," Annabeth told me. "We have to go meet Chiron."

"Oh yeah, so that he can interrogate me. How fun is that?" I said.

"Me too." said Annabeth.

"Whoa, hold on a second. Why would Chiron interrogate you guys?" Luke said.

"Because I walked right into the Poseidon cabin." I said. Annabeth smacked me across the head.

"Ow!"

"Idiot!"

"You're only acting like that because Luke is here." I grinned.

She blushed and dragged me outside the door. I glanced back at Luke who was gawking.

After we were a few yards away, Annabeth yelled at me. She said, "Why would you say that?"

With that, she walked away with her arms crossed. I was angry now. I called after her and said, "So when you kiss another guy, you expect me to be fine with it. But when I tease you about someone, you get mad at me?"

That stopped her in her tracks. She turned around and ran towards me. When she reached me, she kissed me and then tackle hugged me. She whispered, "I am so sorry Percy. I don't know what came over me. I shouldn't have done it and I'm sorry."

"I'm sorry too."

She grabbed my hand and said, "Come on, Chiron is waiting."

While we were walking, a husky voice yelled, "Well! A newbie!"

I looked over. Clarisse was sauntering toward us. She had three other girls behind her, all big, ugly and mean-looking like her, all wearing camo jackets.

"Clarisse," Annabeth sighed, "Go away."

"Not a chance," Clarisse growled, "Who's this little runt?" She turned towards me.

"I am the most amazing guy ever, Percy Jackson, the son of . . ." Annabeth covered my mouth.

"Ha ha, Percy is just joking. He doesn't know who his dad is."

"We got an initiation ceremony for newbies, Prissy."

"Percy."

"Whatever. Come on, I'll show you."

"Clarisse—" Annabeth tried to say.

"Stay out of it, wise girl."

I handed Annabeth my Minotaur horn and followed Clarisse to the bathroom.

"Like he's 'Big Three' material," Clarisse said as she pushed me toward one of the toilets. "Yeah, right. Minotaur probably fell over laughing, he was so stupid looking."

I glanced at Annabeth for the 'ok' sign, but her face was in her hands while she was shaking her head.

"I'll prove I'm 'Big Three' material right now." I smirked.

I made the water come out of all the toilets and sinks and forced it into Clarisse and her buddies faces. They all fell on their butts as I doused them.

I stopped the water, leaving Clarisse choking and sputtering.

I walked over to Annabeth, who was smiling. I grabbed the Minotaur horn with one hand and put my other hand in Annabeth's.

We walked to the archery range to meet Chiron.

Chiron spotted us immediately when we walked in and told the other campers to keep practicing while he talked to us.

We followed him to the corner of the room.

He spoke first, "When Percy arrived here, both of you have been acting suspicious. Why is that so?"

"Suspicious how, sir?" I asked innocently.

"First of all, you and Annabeth have been smiling at each other all day. Annabeth called you Seaweed Brain, you knew that the girl tending the fire was Hestia, and you walked right into the Poseidon cabin. Wish to explain yourselves?"

"You want to know the truth?" I said.

"Of course I do." Chiron said impatiently.

"Well, I just doused Clarisse sewage water, and I told her I was part of the 'Big Three'. Let's just say I am Poseidon's son and I haven't been claimed yet."

"How do you know?" Chiron raised an eyebrow.

"He can prove it." Annabeth said. Annabeth walked over to a camper and took his water bottle. She walked back to us and handed me the water bottle.

She took out her dagger and told me to give her my hand.

"You are not seriously expecting me to let you do that. Right?" I said.

She said, "Nope." And then cut my hand with her dagger before I could do anything.

"OW!"

"Shut up." She took the water bottle out my other hand and poured on my injured hand. Instantly my hand started to heal until there was nothing left but a scar and even that healed up.

Chiron said, "Hmm, this will be our little secret you guys."

"Chiron can Percy be on my team for capture the flag?"

"Yes, I wonder if Percy's father will claim him then."


	7. The first day

**Disclaimer: I do not own Percy Jackson and the Olympians.**

Percy's POV

After our little chat with Chiron, Annabeth and I went for a walk so that we could talk about stuff. Well actually, it was just Annabeth blabbering plans and strategies. I think she was saying dos and don'ts on how to act, but I gave up on listening after ten minutes. When she does ask me if I was listening, I do my dumbfounded look and say, "You used too many big words." That way she explains the whole thing in just a couple of sentences. I don't get why she doesn't do that in the first place. It would have made my life a lot easier, other than the fact that I have to fight monsters for a living.

When we reached the pier at the canoe lake, Annabeth finally stopped talking and gazed out at the water. I sighed of relief and Annabeth looked at me and said, "What?"

"Oh I'm just happy that Chiron didn't ask how we knew each other."

"Yeah I should make a plan if that possibility became an issue.'

With that, Annabeth put her thinking face back on.

For the first time I got the light bulb over my head before Annabeth and said, "Hey, want to go for a swim?"

Annabeth frowned, "The water is cold."

"You don't have a choice." I picked Annabeth up and threw her in the water, with her screaming the whole time. I quickly jumped in after her while grinning stupidly.

After a while of swimming in an air bubble for Annabeth's sake, a rock nearly hit my arm. Someone must have thrown it in the water. We swam up completely dry to see a crowd of people on the pier with Chiron and Dionysus in the front.

Chiron gestured for the campers to go back to their cabins as we swam to shore.

Chiron seemed unhappy, "Do you guys know what you have done?"

We looked at the ground. I for one was completely terrified of what Chiron would do and completely confused on what we've done wrong.

"You guys caused a huge commotion. Someone saw you jump in the water and not come out for longer than should be possible. We all thought you were dead. Now that they know you are alive, there will be a lot of confusion spreading. Also you came out completely dry."

I fixed the completely dry problem, and said "Sorry." Annabeth said the same.

Dionysus said, "Well now that this is settled, it's almost time for dinner. Go back to your cabins."

"Yes, sir."

Of course, when I finally get an idea, we get in trouble for it. You see, this is why Annabeth is the brains of the group. As soon as we were a few feet away, Annabeth punched my arm. I didn't have to ask what for because I already knew the reason. I had the dumbest idea in the world, but it was only because Annabeth wouldn't shut up. So actually, it was her fault.

I walked into the Hermes cabin and paused at the front of the doorway. Everyone's eyes were on me as if they were expecting me to do some crazy trick. I guess it was clear that I was a son of Poseidon with the Clarisse stunt, mentioning it accidently when I got here, being in the water for a long time, and coming out completely dry. Yeah I am a major screw up.

Just as I thought it couldn't get worse, Clarisse showed up at the door. She said, "I don't know what your deal is Jackson, but I want you on my team for capture the flag."

My jaw dropped, I didn't know what to say or do. Thank the gods Luke saved me, "Sorry Clarisse, Percy sticks with the Hermes cabin and the Hermes cabin is with Athena."

You could see the disappointed look on her face as she said, "I should've known. Athena's cabin always gets there first. Prepare to lose Percy Jackson"

"I don't know about you, but I will be preparing to win. Actually, no preparation is needed to beat you Clarisse." She glared at me and then walked back to her cabin.

As soon as she was gone, everyone went back to staring at me. Great, I screwed up again. Wait a second I didn't do anything! What is wrong with these people? They must love to stare at people.

I walked over to my place on the floor and plopped down. Luke came over and sat next to me with a sleeping bag and some toiletries.

"Here, I thought you might need these."

"Thanks." I didn't mean to sound bitter, but I did considering what I knew he would do in the future.

"So, how are you able to do all that stuff?"

"I don't know." That was probably not the best answer to explain myself, but I didn't know what else to say.

"Yeah I guess you wouldn't know. How do you and Annabeth know each other?"

"We don't." I really should have listened to Annabeth when she was blabbering.

Luke gave me a skeptical look. "Ok whatever it's time for dinner."

Just then, a horn blew in the distance and I knew that it was a conch shell.

"Eleven fall in!"

We marched up the hill to the mess hall pavilion. At the pavilion, torches blazed around the marble columns. A central fire burned in a bronze brazier the size of a bathtub. Each cabin had its own table, covered in white cloth trimmed in purple. Four of the tables were empty, but cabin eleven's was overcrowded. I had to squeeze on to the edge of a bench with half my butt hanging off.

I saw Grover sitting at table twelve with Mr. D, a few satyrs, and a couple of plump blond boys who looked just like Mr. D. Chiron stood to one side, the picnic table being way too small for a centaur.

Annabeth sat at table six with a bunch of serious-looking athletic kids, all with her gray eyes and honey-blond hair.

Clarisse sat behind me at the table of Ares. She'd apparently gotten over being hosed down, because she was laughing and belching right alongside her friends.

Finally, Chiron pounded his hoof against the marble floor of the pavilion, and everybody fell silent. He raised a glass. "To the gods!"

Everybody else raised their glasses. "To the gods!"

My glass was empty so I said, "Blue Cherry Coke."

"Here you go, Percy," Luke said, handing me a platter of smoked brisket.

I loaded my plate and followed everyone to the fire in the center of the pavilion.

Luke approached the fire, bowed his head, and tossed in a cluster of fat red grapes. "Hermes."

I knew I couldn't let Luke hear me say Poseidon, so I made a silent offering to him.

When everybody had returned to their seats and finished eating their meals, Chiron pounded his hoof again for our attention.

Mr. D got up with a huge sigh. "Yes, I suppose I'd better say hello to all you brats. Well, hello. Our activities director, Chiron, says the next capture the flag is Friday. Cabin five presently holds the laurels."

A bunch of ugly cheering rose from the Ares table.

"Personally," Mr. D continued, "I couldn't care less, but congratulations. Also, I should tell you that we have a new camper today. Peter Johnson."

Chiron murmured something.

"Err, Percy Jackson," Mr. D corrected. "That's right. Hurrah, and all that. Now run along to your silly campfire. Go on."

Everybody cheered. We all headed down toward the amphitheater, where Apollo's cabin led a sing-along. We sang camp songs about the gods, ate s'mores, and joked around, and the funny thing was, I didn't feel that anyone was staring at me anymore. I felt that I was home.

Later in the evening, when the sparks from the campfire were curling into a starry sky, the conch horn blew again, and we all filed back to our cabins. I didn't realize how exhausted I was until I collapsed on my borrowed sleeping bag.

When I closed my eyes, I fell asleep instantly.

I did great repeating my first day. It was even better than the first time I did my first day. Yeah I assume that made sense.


	8. Whodunnit?

**A/N: Chapter 9 will be different from all the other chapters, so BEWARE! I guess it doesn't matter now, but I just said it for you to know in advance.**

Percy's POV

I rotated through my usual routine. Chiron tried teaching me archery, which I wasn't very good at doing. Foot racing? Forget about it. And wrestling? No good either. Clarisse would pulverize me. At least I could spend my mornings with Annabeth. We were supposed to be learning Ancient Greek, but all we did was talk. Ok, maybe we did a bit more than talking, but only sometimes.

Of course, i was amazing at canoeing.

The only thing I was excited for was Capture the Flag that was starting tonight. Camp seemed exactly how I left it despite all the staring and eyelash batting from the Aphrodite girls.

Thursday, was when I had my first sword-fighting lesson. Everybody from cabin eleven gathered in the big circular arena, where Luke would be our instructor.

We started with basic stabbing and slashing, using some straw-stuffed dummies in Greek armor. It was easy, but none of the blades fit right in my hand. Either they were too heavy, too light, or too long. I was dying to get my hands on Riptide. Luke tried his best to fix me up, but he agreed that none of the practice blades seemed to work for me.

We moved on to dueling in pairs. Luke announced he would be my partner, since this was my first time.

"Good luck," one of the campers told me. "Luke's the best swordsman in the last three hundred years."

"He won't be for long."

"What?"

"I am a much better swordsman than Luke."

The camper snorted.

"Don't believe me? Well, you'll see."

Luke showed me thrusts, parries and shield blocks, which I perfected every time. Luke was trying harder and harder to hit me, but was failing miserably, while I got him in the ribs or the arm almost every time.

By the time he called a break, I was soaked in sweat. Everybody swarmed the drinks cooler. I saw Luke pour ice water on his head, so I grabbed an ice water myself. I stared at it for a few seconds deciding whether to show them what I can do. I didn't need to, but I did it anyways.

Instantly I felt power surge through me. Strength returned in my arms and the sword didn't feel so awkward.

"Okay, everybody circle up!" Luke ordered. "If Percy doesn't mind, I want to give you a little demo."

I had a very goofy and stupid grin on my face.

The Hermes guys gathered around. They were suppressing smiles. I figured they'd been in my shoes before and thought Luke would use me for a punching bag. He told everybody he was going to demonstrate a disarming technique: how to twist the enemy's blade with the flat of your own sword so that he had no choice but to drop his weapon.

"This is difficult," he stressed. "I've had it used against me. No laughing at Percy, now. Most swordsmen have to work years to master this technique."

I let him demonstrate the move on me in slow motion. Sure enough, the sword clattered out of my hand.

"Now in real time," he said, after I'd retrieved my weapon. "We keep sparring until one of us pulls it off. Ready, Percy?"

I nodded, and Luke came after me. Somehow, I kept him from getting a shot at the hilt of my sword. My senses opened up. I saw his attacks coming. I countered. I stepped forward and tried a thrust of my own. Luke deflected it easily, but I saw a change in his face. His eyes narrowed, and he started to press me with more force.

The sword grew heavy in my hand. I could still control it quite easily, so I attempted the disarming maneuver.

My blade hit the base of Luke's and I twisted, putting my whole weight into a downward thrust. _Clang._

Luke's sword rattled against the stones. The tip of my blade was an inch from his undefended chest.

The other campers stared at me.

I turned to the camper that said good luck to me and said, "Told you so."

I lowered my sword, and turned to Luke, "Sorry."

For a moment, Luke was too stunned to speak.

"Sorry?" His scarred face broke into a grin. "By the gods, Percy, why are you sorry? Show me that again!"

I gladly did the disarming maneuver again, but with some difficulty because I didn't have Riptide. I had the same reaction from before.

Luke wiped the sweat off his brow. He appraised at me with an entirely new interest. "Wow," he said, "Maybe it was beginner's luck. I wonder what you would be able to do with a balanced sword . . ."

Friday afternoon, I was sitting with Grover at the lake, after I finished the climbing wall with smoking holes in my shirt and hairs singed off my forearms.

We sat on the pier, watching the naiads do underwater basket weaving, until I got up the nerve to ask Grover how his conversation had gone with Mr. D.

His face turned a sickly shade of yellow.

"Fine," he said. "Just great."

"So your career's still on track?"

He glanced at me nervously. "Chiron t-told you I want a searcher's license?"

"Not exactly, but you could say that."

"He just said you had big plans, you know ... and that you needed credit for completing a keeper's assignment. So did you get it?"

Grover looked down at the naiads. "Mr. D suspended judgment. He said I hadn't failed or succeeded with you yet, so our fates were still tied together. If you got a quest and I went along to protect you, and we both came back alive, then maybe he'd consider the job complete."

"Don't worry we'll get a quest soon and come back alive."

"Uh-huh.", he said sarcastically.

After that, we didn't talk about much. Then we somehow moved on to the topic Thalia.

"Percy, children of the Big Three have powers greater than other half-bloods. They have a strong aura, a scent that attracts monsters. When Hades found out about the girl, he wasn't too happy about Zeus breaking his oath. Hades let the worst monsters out of Tartarus to torment Thalia. A satyr was assigned to be her keeper when she was twelve, but there was nothing he could do. He tried to escort her here with a couple of other half-bloods she'd befriended. They almost made it. They got all the way to the top of that hill."

He pointed across the valley, to the pine tree. "All three Kindly Ones were after them, along with a horde of hellhounds. They were about to be overrun when Thalia told her satyr to take the other two half-bloods to safety while she held off the monsters. She was wounded and tired, and she didn't want to live like a hunted animal. The satyr didn't want to leave her, but he couldn't change her mind, and he had to protect the others. Therefore, Thalia made her final stand alone, at the top of that hill. As she died, Zeus took pity on her. He turned her into that pine tree. Her spirit still helps protect the borders of the valley. That's why the hill is called Half-Blood Hill."

That night after dinner, there was a lot more excitement than usual. At last, it was time for capture the flag.

When the plates were cleared away, the conch horn sounded and we all stood at our tables.

Campers yelled and cheered as Annabeth and two of her siblings ran into the pavilion carrying a silk banner. It was about ten feet long, glistening gray, with a painting of a barn owl above an olive tree. From the opposite side of the pavilion, Clarisse and her friends ran in with another banner, of identical size, but gaudy red, painted with a bloody spear and a boar's head.

The teams were announced. Athena had made an alliance with Apollo and Hermes, the two biggest cabins. Apparently, privileges had been traded—shower times, chore schedules, the best slots for activities—in order to win support.

Ares had allied themselves with everybody else: Dionysus, Demeter, Aphrodite, and Hephaestus. From what I'd seen, Dionysus's kids were actually good athletes, but there were only two of them. Demeter's kids had the edge with nature skills and outdoor stuff but they weren't very aggressive. Aphrodite's sons and daughters I wasn't too worried about. They mostly sat out every activity, checked their reflections in the lake, did their hair, and gossiped. Hephaestus's kids weren't pretty, and there were only four of them, but they were big and burly from working in the metal shop all day. They might be a problem. That, of course, left Ares' cabin: a dozen of the biggest, ugliest, meanest kids on Long Island, or anywhere else on the planet.

Chiron hammered his hoof on the marble.

"Heroes!" he announced. "You know the rules. The creek is the boundary line. The entire forest is fair game. All magic items are allowed. The banner must be prominently displayed, and have no more than two guards. Prisoners may be disarmed, but may not be bound or gagged. No killing or maiming is allowed. I will serve as referee and battlefield medic. Arm yourselves!"

He spread his hands, and the tables were suddenly covered with equipment: helmets, bronze swords, spears, ox-hide shields coated in metal.

Luke told I was border patrol and gave me some armor.

After we all go armored up, Annabeth yelled, "Blue team, forward!"

We cheered and shook our swords and followed her down the path to the south woods. The red team yelled taunts at us as they headed off toward the north.

I marched to go do my job as border patrol

It was a warm, sticky night. The woods were dark, with fireflies popping in and out of view. Annabeth stationed me next to a little creek that gurgled over some rocks, then she and the rest of the team scattered into the trees.

Standing there alone, with my big blue-feathered helmet and my huge shield, it was extremely boring. The bronze sword, like all the swords seemed balanced wrong. The leather grip pulled on my hand like a bowling ball.

Far away, the conch horn blew. I heard whoops and yells in the woods, the clanking of metal, kids fighting. A blue-plumed ally from Apollo raced past me like a deer, leaped through the creek, and disappeared into enemy territory.

Of course, Annabeth still wouldn't let me have any fun. Even if I was re-doing my first Capture the Flag. Wait a second, this means I get to whoop Clarisse's butt! Okay, maybe this wasn't so bad.

Then I heard a sound, a low canine growl, somewhere close by.

I raised my shield instinctively; I had the feeling something was stalking me.

Then the growling stopped. I felt the presence retreating.

On the other side of the creek, the underbrush exploded. Five Ares warriors came yelling and screaming out of the dark.

"Cream the punk!" Clarisse screamed.

Her ugly pig eyes glared through the slits of her helmet. She brandished a five-foot-long spear, its barbed metal tip flickering with red light. Her siblings had only the standard-issue bronze swords.

They charged across the stream. Clarisse thrust at me with her spear and I deflected it with shield. My shield arm went numb. My hair stood on end and the air burned. Electricity went through my body. How did I forget her stupid spear was electric!

I thrust with my sword at Clarisse. She blocked it, so I quickly swung right after and hit her in the chest as she tumbled back. The four other Ares warriors charged at me. I sidestepped the first guy's swing and thrust at his ribs, sending him to the ground. I deflected the other's sword, which went skidding across the ground. I put the tip of sword to his throat as the other two retreated.

Clarisse yelled, "Idiots, charge him!" and they ran towards me. I put my left foot behind me to get some advantage and it landed in the creek. The water woke up my senses and I swung the flat of my sword against the first person's head and knocked his helmet clean off. I hit him so hard I could see his eyes vibrating as he crumpled into the water. I slammed the other in the face with my shield and used my sword to shear off his horsehair plume. Both of them backed up quick, but Clarisse kept coming, the point of her spear crackling with energy. As soon as she thrust, I caught the shaft between the edge of my shield and my sword, and I snapped it like a twig.

"Ah!" she screamed. "You idiot! You corpse-breath worm!"

She probably would've said worse, but I smacked her between the eyes with my sword-butt and sent her stumbling backward out of the creek.

Then I heard yelling, elated screams, and I saw Luke racing toward the boundary line with the red team's banner lifted high. A couple of Hermes guys covering his retreat, and a few Apollo kids behind them, fighting off the Hephaestus kids, flanked him. The Ares folks got up, and Clarisse muttered a dazed curse.

"A trick!" she shouted. "It was a trick."

They staggered after Luke, but it was too late. Everybody converged on the creek as Luke ran across into friendly territory. Our side exploded into cheers. The red banner shimmered and turned to silver. The boar and spear were replaced with a huge caduceus, the symbol of cabin eleven. Everybody on the blue team picked up Luke and started carrying him around on their shoulders. Chiron cantered out from the woods and blew the conch horn.

The game was over. We'd won.

I was about to join the celebration when Annabeth's voice, right next to me in the creek, said, "Good job, Seaweed brain."

"You could've helped you know."

She took off the Yankees cap and said, "What's the fun in that?" she grinned.

Before I could answer her, I heard that canine growl again, but much closer than before. A howl ripped through the forest.

The campers' cheering died instantly. Chiron shouted something in Ancient Greek, which I would realize, only later, I had understood perfectly: "Stand ready! My bow!"

Annabeth drew her sword.

There on the rocks just above us was a huge hellhound with lava-red eyes and fangs like daggers.

It was looking straight at me.

I dropped my shield and sword.

Annabeth shouted, "Percy! What are you doing?"

She tried to step in front of me, but the hound was too fast. It leaped over her and tackled me. I scratched the hellhound behind its ear as it rolled over on its back, panting as I rubbed its belly.

I laughed as it stood up and licked my face leaving slobber all over me. Annabeth elbowed me. I looked up to say "What?" when I noticed all the people staring at me with their jaws dropped. Some even gasped as I realized they weren't staring at me; they were staring above my head where a green hologram was, with a trident spinning and gleaming.

All around me, campers started kneeling, even the Ares cabin, though they didn't look happy about it.

I said, "All the people get together to see that I control water. You see the ladies get vicious, cause I am very delicious. Why don't you come get a taste of something I know I am made of. Poseidon's son is what I meant. You see, it is just pure talent." **(A/N: I just had to make up a gloating song for Percy to say. I thought it would be funny. I sort of got Chiron in on it too.)**

"Poseidon, Earthshaker, Stormbringer, Father of Horses. Hail, Perseus Jackson, Son of the Sea God forces." said Chiron.

Later that night, I snuck out of the cabin to go see her. I saw her standing on the pier looking out at the water. I walked over to her and said, "Hey."

She said, "Hi." Before I could say anything else, something hit me across the head and I passed out.

I woke up falling in a very dark room. I screamed and knew I would surely die once I hit the floor. I landed with a thud on a cold floor. I went on my knees, looking all over my body for injuries, but didn't find anything.

"What? How am I alive?" I asked myself relieved.

"Shut up!" said a certain immortal being.

The immortal kicked me in my sweet spot and I crumpled to the ground, crying out while doing so. Being kicked by a ten foot immortal in the sweet spot is not something you want to try out.

**A/N: So how was it? Who was that girl that Percy went to go see? Who knocked out Percy? And which immortal kicked him? Guess in the reviews, or wait until next chapter. Whoever guesses correctly gets a shout out in chapter 9!**


	9. Apollo is all knowing

**A/N: ****Mila-is-a-bookworm-101**** got the three questions correct in our PM. Go check out her story. I find the story to be quite amazing. I'm not going to tell what the answers are though, you'll find out in this chapter. **

**P.S. I let my friend take over this chapter, so enjoy.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Percy Jackson and the Olympians.**

Percy's POV

Tears streamed down my face as I wondered if I was ever going to have children. Just then, I heard a door slam open as my dad's voice screamed at Athena. I couldn't really hear what he was saying because of the ringing going through my ears, but I'm sure it was something too awful to repeat anyway.

I didn't realize that someone turned on the lights while I was cowering in excruciating pain. When the ringing stopped, I saw Apollo running in with a camera and he said, "No! Why did you start without me? I wanted to get this on camera!"

Hermes, who I didn't realize was in the room the whole time with another camera, said, "If you give me fifty drachmas, I'll give you a copy of the video."

"Deal!"

Poseidon turned to Apollo and said, "Will you stop chatting with Hermes and heal my son?" It was more of a command then a question.

Apollo came over to me and said, "You're going to be fine. Don't worry." He touched my arm and the pain slowly left me. I croaked a thank you before I wiped the tears from my eyes. No matter what anyone says, I will always deny the crying.

I looked over at Athena and found her passed out on the ground in front of my dad. I ran over to Poseidon before he could do worse. I stood in front of him and tried to get his attention. When he finally looked at me, he shrunk down to grab me in a hug.

He released me and said, "What did you do to get Athena mad?"

I said, "I am sort of dating her daughter."

Poseidon thought for a moment before he replied, "As long as you're happy Percy."

In the back of the room, we could hear Apollo and Hermes watching the tape again. Hermes and Apollo winced when they saw Athena kick me.

Poseidon said, "Give me that camera now!"

They reluctantly handed Poseidon the camera. While Poseidon was smashing the camera on the ground, Hermes handed Apollo the film that was in his hand.

Somehow, he got the film out before he gave the camera to Poseidon. It must have something to do with him being the God of Thieves.

Poseidon turned to me and said, "Come on, I need to figure out a way to get you back to Camp Half-Blood."

Apollo came over and said, "I'll take him in Sun Chariot."

I said, "Isn't it the middle of the night?"

"Percy, it's five in the morning." said Apollo.

"Oh no, what day is it?"

"Sunday, why you asking?"

"I got knocked out on Friday."

Poseidon interrupted, "Who knocked you out?"

"I don't know. It was probably Luke."

Hermes stopped at the door before he walked out and turned around. He asked, "Why would he knock you out?"

"That's the same question that I asked for a lot of things Luke has done."

Then Hermes asked, "What has he done?"

I'm so happy that Apollo stopped me from having to answer that by saying, "I don't have all day to chat. I need to get Sun Chariot in the sky before the mortals freak out, or even worse Artemis yells at me."

Apollo put his hand on my shoulder to teleport us, but Hermes said, "Wait, I need to know what Luke did."

I quickly said, "Sorry no time."

Apollo teleported us next to his red Maserati Spyder and I sighed relieved.

"Can I drive?"

"Sure, you can drive."

"Seriously?" I grinned.

"No! You're only twelve."

I frowned, "Oh yeah."

"You act like you just forgot your own age." he said as we got into the car.

I shrugged, "What can I say? Sometimes it just slips my mind that I'm twelve again."

"_Again_?" Apollo said.

"I didn't say again. You can only be twelve once."

"If you can only be twelve once, then why did you say again?" Apollo just would not drop the subject.

"It was an accident." I didn't sound convincing at all.

Apollo stopped the car and we started to fall towards the middle of New York.

"Apollo, what are you doing?" I screamed.

"Tell me why you said again. If you don't we'll crash right into New York."

"I come from the future and I was sent back in time to save Olympus! There, I told you, now turn the car back on!"Apollo stopped the car from falling right before we set an apartment building on fire. I let go of a breath I didn't know I was holding.

"You come from the future?" Apollo asked.

"I suppose I have to tell you the truth."

"No duh, I'll know if you lie."

"I am suppose to be seventeen right now, but two of Hermes' kids stole time, and don't ask me how because I don't know. Annabeth and I got teleported to a place where Gabs and Nick explained what happened and told us what to do. Then they made a portal appear that sent us back."

Apollo didn't answer for a while before he said, "Who are those two people that you mentioned?"

"They're immortals."

"What? Why does no one tell me these things! Who are their parents?"

"They are twins and their parents are Aphrodite and Ares."

Apollo was gripping the wheel so hard that he might actually break it.

"When I get back to Olympus, I'm going to ask some people some questions. Why do people not trust me even though I'm the God of Truth?"

"I don't know. Maybe it's because you let them fall into the middle of New York if they're not completely honest with you."

"No, that's not it. It has to be something else." I face palmed.

Apollo said, "Percy, you shouldn't hit yourself. You might get a concussion." Okay, I give up. Apollo is honestly hopeless.

"I have another question for you."

"What?"

"What did Luke do?"

"The worst thing he done has to be unleashing Kronos."

"WHAT?"

"Sorry, I mean going to do."

"You have to stop that from happening."

"I do eventually, or should I say Luke does. I don't really know for sure."

"Stop it before Luke does it in the first place!"

"I can't, it's in the prophecy."

Apollo was silent for a very long time before he said, "We're almost at Camp Half-Blood."

"Promise me something."

"What?"

"Don't tell anyone what I told you."

"But…"

"Please!" I gave him the puppy eyes.

"No, don't do that!"

I turned my head to the side and quivered my lip.

"Fine, I promise."

"Good."

We were silent for the rest of the car ride.

We got to Camp Half-Blood and started to walk towards Half-Blood Hill. When we reached the top, right next to Thalia's tree, we could see down into the valley. It was dark outside, and thunder rolled across the hills. A storm was brewing. Sitting on the coast of the lake was Annabeth and Luke. Luke had his arm around Annabeth's shoulders.

I froze as Apollo kept walking; he turned around, "Well? Aren't you coming?"

I pointed across the valley and said, "That's Luke and Annabeth."

He looked where I was pointing and said, "Maybe he's just comforting her. You were gone for a while. They might think you died. I'm sure they're just friends… or something."

"When I was twelve, I mean the first time I was twelve, Annabeth had a crush on Luke. Later we found out that Luke liked her, but that was when Annabeth started to like me. Also it was right before Luke died, so thinks didn't work out."

"Oh, then maybe they're not 'just friends', but you can stop it. Wait, how did Luke die?"

"He sacrificed himself to stop Kronos."

"Why did Luke help Kronos in the first place?"

"He hated the gods. He thought the gods didn't care for him, and that his dad didn't love him. He felt like Hermes ignored him."

"It sounds like the kid needs a hug. Let's go give him one." With that, he started marching towards the lake. I followed close behind.

When we were within a few yards behind them, Apollo called out Luke's name.

Annabeth and Luke jumped up at the sound of Apollo's voice. Apollo ran over and hugged Luke. Luke looked over his shoulder at Annabeth and said, "Uh, why is Apollo touching me?"

I answered, "He felt like you needed a hug." Luke and Annabeth looked at me.

Annabeth screamed, "Percy!" She surged forward, and I did too. We grabbed each other in a tight hug and I kissed her on the cheek.

We let go of each other and she asked, "Where did you go? On Friday, we went to go meet up, but then you just disappeared."

I was about to tell her what really happened, but I thought better of it and said, "I had to go on a small quest, but it was nothing you needed to worry about."

She was about to answer when Luke, who was still being hugged by Apollo, called to us. He said, "Will you please get him off of me?"

Annabeth said, "You should feel lucky to get a hug from Apollo. I would be the luckiest girl in the world if I got one."

Apollo let go of Luke and turned to Annabeth. We all just stared at her and she said, "What? Apollo's hot." With that, all of our jaws dropped. Annabeth's face turned so red that I thought her head would explode in a matter of seconds.

Apollo spoke first, "Aww, I'll give you a hug." Apollo walked over to Annabeth and gave her a hug. It was only for a few seconds because Annabeth looked like she would faint if it were longer.

"Well, I guess I should tell Chiron I'm back." I said

"I'll come with you." said Annabeth.

"I want to come along as well. I need to ask Chiron some questions." Apollo said.

We walked together to the Big House. I had no idea what I was going to say to Chiron. We walked inside of the Big House where Dionysus sat at the pinochle table in his tiger-striped Hawaiian shirt with his Diet Coke. Chiron sat across the table in his fake wheelchair. They were playing against invisible opponents-two sets of cards hovering in the air.

Dionysus said, "Well, look who's still alive. Chiron wants to talk to you. Apollo, what are you doing here? There's an emergency meeting on Olympus."

"What? Why does everyone leave me out of these things? Sorry Percy, but you're on your own. I got to go." Apollo and Dionysus left.

Chiron motioned for us to sit down, so we did. He turned to me and said, "You have a quest, will you accept it?"

"Yes."

**A/N: How do you like my friend's writing? Good, bad, funny, or is it just too weird that you do not know if you like it or not? **


	10. Preparing for Quest

**I am so sorry I was gone for so long. I've been busy as usually. Also, I was sick for a couple of weeks, but I'm back now. **

**Disclaimer: I do not on Percy Jackson and the Olympians.**

Percy's POV

"You have a quest, will you accept it?" Chiron asked.

I looked at Grover, who nodded encouragingly, then at Annabeth who gave me an intense stare as if saying, "You know what you have to do."

I was actually thinking about saying no for the fun of it, but instead I said yes.

Annabeth let out a sigh of relief, and Chiron looked surprised that I said yes with no questions asked.

"I'll just go upstairs and see the Oracle then." I said. I stood up.

"How do you know so much, Percy?" Chiron asked. I really need to learn to shut up sometimes.

"Uh, I have an amazing teacher." I smiled at Annabeth. Her cheeks turned slightly red.

Chiron turned towards Annabeth, "Is that true?"

"Yes sir, I taught him everything he needed to know." Annabeth said.

"Well that's good. Percy, you may now go visit the Oracle."

The attic was filled with Greek hero junk: armor stands covered in cobwebs; once-bright shields pitted with rust; old leather steamer trunks plastered with stickers saying ITHAKA, CIRCE'S ISLE, and LAND OF THE AMAZONS. One long table was stacked with glass jars filled with pickled things—severed hairy claws, huge yellow eyes, and various other parts of monsters. A dusty mounted trophy on the wall looked like a giant snake's head, but with horns and a full set of shark's teeth. The plaque read, HYDRA HEAD #1, WOODSTOCK, N.Y., 1969.

By the window, sitting on a wooden tripod stool, was a human female body shriveled to a husk. The skin of her face was thin and leathery over her skull, and her eyes were glassy white slits, as if marbles had replaced the real eyes; she had been dead a long, long time. No matter how many times I come here, she still freaks me out.

She sat up on her stool and opened her mouth. A green mist poured from the mummy's mouth, coiling over the floor in thick tendrils, hissing like twenty thousand snakes. I stumbled over myself trying to get to the trapdoor, but it slammed shut. Inside my head, I heard a voice, slithering into one ear and coiling around my brain: _I am the spirit of Delphi, speaker of the prophecies of Phoebus Apollo, slayer of the mighty Python. Approach, seeker, and ask._

I took a deep breath, "What is my destiny?"

The mist swirled more thickly, collecting right in front of me and around the table with the pickled monster-part jars. Suddenly there were four men sitting around the table, playing cards. Their faces became clearer. It was Smelly Gabe and his friends.

Gabe turned toward me and spoke in the rasping voice of the Oracle: _You shall go west, and face the god who has turned._

His buddy on the right looked up and said in the same voice: _You shall find what was stolen, and see it safely returned._

The guy on the left threw in two poker chips, then said: _You shall he betrayed by one who calls you a friend._

Finally, Eddie, our building super, delivered the worst line of all: _And you shall fail to save what matters most, in the end._

The figures began to dissolve. The tail of the mist snake disappeared into the mummy's mouth. She reclined back against the wall. Her mouth closed tight, as if it hadn't been open in a hundred years. The attic was silent again, abandoned, nothing but a room full of mementos.

Well that was a delightful visit.

"Well?" Chiron asked me.

I sat down next to Annabeth at the pinochle table. "The Oracle said I would go west, and face the god who has turned, and find what was stolen, and see it safely returned . . ." I didn't get to finish because Annabeth interrupted me.

"That's it. The Oracle didn't say anything else. Right Percy?" Annabeth said.

"Yup that's it."

After are little group chat, we went to go pack our bags. I decided to leave the Minotaur horn and instead brought some extra clothes and a toothbrush. I shoved them in a backpack Grover had found for me.

The camp store loaned me one hundred dollars in mortal money and twenty golden drachmas. Chiron gave Annabeth and me each a canteen of nectar and a Ziploc bag full of ambrosia squares, to be used only in emergencies, if we were seriously hurt. It was god food, Chiron reminded us. It would cure us of almost any injury, but it was lethal to mortals. Too much of it would make a half-blood very, very feverish. An overdose would burn us up, literally.

Annabeth was bringing her magic Yankees cap. She carried a book on famous classical architecture, written in Ancient Greek, to read when she got bored, and her long bronze knife, hidden in her shirt sleeve. Grover wore his fake feet and his pants to pass as human. He wore a green Rasta-style cap, because when it rained his curly hair flattened and you could just see the tips of his horns. His bright orange backpack was full of scrap metal and apples to snack on. In his pocket was a set of reed pipes his daddy goat had carved for him, even though he only knew two songs: Mozart's Piano Concerto no. 12 and Hilary Duff's "So Yesterday," both of which sounded pretty bad on reed pipes.

We waved good-bye to the other campers, took one last look at the strawberry fields, the ocean, and the Big House, then hiked up Half-Blood Hill to the tall pine tree that used to be Thalia, daughter of Zeus. Chiron was waiting for us in his wheelchair. Next to him stood Argus in a chauffeur's uniform.

"This is Argus," Chiron told me. "He will drive you into the city, and, err, well, keep an eye on things."

"Percy, this is a gift from your father. I've kept it for years, not knowing you were who I was waiting for. But the prophecy is clear to me now. You are the one." He handed me a black pen. I immediately took off the cap and it grew larger and heavier in my hands. In half a second, I was holding the sword I loved so much, Riptide.

I heard footsteps behind us.

Luke came running up the hill, carrying a pair of basketball shoes.

"Hey!" he panted. "Glad I caught you." I frowned.

"Just wanted to say good luck," Luke told me. "And I thought ... um, maybe you could use these."

He handed me the sneakers, and I scowled. I remembered how much trouble these shoes gave us in the future.

Luke said, "Maia!"

White bird's wings sprouted out of the heels, startling me so much, I dropped them. The shoes flapped around on the ground until the wings folded up and disappeared.

"Awesome!" Grover said.

Luke smiled. "Those served me well when I was on my quest. Gift from Dad. Of course, I don't use them much these days..." His expression turned sad, although I didn't pity him.

"Thank you so much for these amazing shoes! I am sure they will help us in our quest! I love them so much!" I said with sarcasm. Annabeth hit me upside the head for doing that.

"Listen, Percy ..." Luke looked uncomfortable. "A lot of hopes are riding on you. So just ... kill some monsters for me, okay?" Luke smiled.

We shook hands. Luke patted Grover's head between his horns, then gave a good-bye hug to Annabeth, who reluctantly hugged back.

I picked up the flying shoes and gave them to Annabeth. She asked, "What am I suppose to do with these?"

"Well, we are definitely not taking it with us, so find a way to get rid of it."

"Why can't we bring it with us?" Grover asked.

"The shoes are cursed. You can try it on now, but that's the last time you're using it." I said.

"How do you know it's cursed?" Grover asked.

"Yeah, Percy, how do you know it's cursed?" Annabeth asked with her arms crossed.

"I just have this feeling that it's bad news. All it is going to bring is trouble." I said trying to sound convincing.

Grover must have believed me because he put on the shoes. "_Maia!_" he shouted.

Grover was flipping and turning as he went flying into the air. "Aaaaa!" Grover yelled as he went tumbling towards Thalia's tree.

"Practice," Chiron called after him. "You just need practice!"

Annabeth and I went running after him. When we reached Grover and Thalia's tree, we were too late. Grover slammed into the branches, and one of the branches hit him right in between the legs.

I winced, "Ouch!"

Annabeth called up to him, "Grover! Are you okay?"

We heard rustling in the tree before Grover answered, "Yeah, I'm fine, but I am stuck!

"Oh great! What do we do now?" Annabeth said.

"Uh, should we make a human ladder?"I grinned stupidly.

Annabeth looked at me and said, "That is a great idea!" I laughed.

Grover called down again, "Guys, I got free, but I don't know how to get down."

"Jump!" I yelled at him.

"Yeah, we'll catch you."Annabeth agreed.

"We will?"

"Of course we will!"

Annabeth and I put our arms out. "On the count of three. _One! Two! Three!" _Grover jumped from the tree.

At the last second, I pulled my arms back. Grover landed right on top of Annabeth, sending them both to the ground with a thud. I started laughing. Annabeth pushed Grover off of her and stood up. She faced me and looked pissed off.

"Should I run?" I asked.

"Yes!" Grover said while standing up.

I took off sprinting down the hill with Annabeth right behind me.


	11. Yay! I almost died today!

**I know. I know. I'm late with the chapter, but I have reasons . . . Anyway, shout out to 'Bunnies and Tigers' just for being a really cool fan! Special chapter just for you! (Ugh, I used the word "really". I hate that word.) UP, UP, AND AWAY TO THE CHAPTER!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Percy Jackson and the Olympians.**

Percy's POV

Argus drove us out of the countryside and into western Long Island. It felt weird to be on a highway again, Annabeth and Grover sitting next to me as if we were normal carpoolers. I stared at malls and fast-food stores as we drove by. Then I grew bored of that after about five minutes. So, instead I went to stare at other people in cars, and give them creepy looks just for the fun of it.

Annabeth caught me staring at a girl crossed-eyed with my tongue out and asked from the other side of the bus, "Percy, what in the world are you doing?"

"I'm giving people creepy faces to see how freaked out they get. This one kid wrote on his coloring pad asking 'Are you mentally challenged?' and he put it up to the window so I could see." I said smiling.

"Why must you scare people with your weird faces?" Annabeth said while shaking her head.

"It's extremely funny. You should try-WHOA!"I said as I crawled over Annabeth to get a better view of the girl.

I was practically sitting on Annabeth while I stared at the girl that looked oddly familiar. She looked about 15 with straight blond hair with blue streaks and fascinating green eyes. She turned her head to look at me and smiled. I smiled back with a lop-sided grin as usual. It took me a while to realize Annabeth was talking, "Percy! Get off me! What are you looking at anyways?" Annabeth moved so that she could see and went wide-eyed.

Annabeth turned her head towards me and yelled, "YOU ARE LOOKING AT A GIRL! HOW DARE YOU?"Then she punched me in my arm.

My arm kind of hurt, but I didn't care. I was only staring because she looked so familiar, not for the reason Annabeth was probably thinking of. I looked up back at the girl who looked embarrassed and guilty as if it was her fault I got punched. I waved at her and smiled hopefully to reassure her. It must have worked because she waved back. Annabeth on the other hand was pissed as hell and was glaring at the poor girl.

"Annabeth stop giving her the death glare. She did nothing wrong!" I said.

Annabeth looked at me, then at the girl, and something must have clicked in her mind because she did something totally unexpected and uncalled for. She grabbed my shirt and kissed me. I couldn't pull back because well it was Annabeth and she is like the best kisser in the world. Not that I kissed many girls, it was just her and um Rachel.

Annabeth pulled back and smirked at the girl out the window. The girl was frowning, well more like scowling. I was turning the deepest red ever when I figured out that Annabeth was fighting over me as if there was a competition. I had absolutely no feelings for that girl. She just looked like I saw her somewhere before, but I couldn't place where that was.

Whoever was driving the girl's car drove off, and we never saw the girl again. I went back to my seat to sit down, when Grover said, "Will someone please tell me what just happened?"

I glanced at Annabeth, and said, "Ask her."

Annabeth frowned and started to explain, "Well Percy was being an idiot and staring at this girl for some unknown reason."

"I know that. I meant the kiss." Grover said.

"As I said before, ask her." I said and nodded at Annabeth.

"I kissed Percy so that the girl wouldn't notice Percy as the boy and the mother who went missing. It was a distraction you see, to keep the girl from recognizing him." Annabeth explanation actually seemed reasonable. Mine probably would have gone like: "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Alright, so why was Percy staring at her?" Grover said eyeing me.

"I don't know. Why don't we ask Percy? Percy, why were you staring at her?" Annabeth said raising an eyebrow and crossing her arms.

"She looked familiar, okay? Nothing more." I said.

"Mmhm, sure." Annabeth said sarcastically.

"Seriously, she just looked like I knew her from somewhere." I was getting frustrated now. They wouldn't believe me!

"From where?" said Grover.

"Yeah and why were you guys smiling at each other and waving?" Annabeth added.

"I don't know where I knew her from. I smiled and waved because that's what people do when someone is looking at you on the highway." I said trying to get Annabeth to believe me.

"Okay, whatever. I don't care anymore." Annabeth said and turned to stare out the window. I thought it would be better to let her cool off before trying to talk to her again.

Traffic slowed us down in Queens. By the time, we got into Manhattan it was sunset and starting to rain.

Argus dropped us at the Greyhound Station on the Upper East Side. Taped to a mailbox was a soggy flyer with my picture on it: HAVE YOU SEEN THIS BOY? I stared at it for a few seconds before ripping it down. Argus unloaded our bags, made sure we got our bus tickets, and then drove away, the eye on the back of his hand opening to watch us as he pulled out of the parking lot.

We got restless waiting for the bus and decided to play some Hacky Sack with one of Grover's apples. Annabeth was unbelievable. When was she not? She could bounce the apple off her knee, her elbow, and her shoulder, whatever. I wasn't too bad myself.

The game ended when I tossed the apple toward Grover and it got too close to his mouth. In one mega goat bite, our Hacky Sack disappeared—core, stem, and all.

Grover blushed. He tried to apologize, but Annabeth and I were too busy cracking up.

Finally the bus came. As we stood in line to board, Grover started looking around, sniffing the air like he smelled his favorite school cafeteria delicacy—enchiladas.

"What is it?" I asked.

"I don't know," he said tensely. "Maybe it's nothing."

However, I could tell it wasn't nothing. I started looking over my shoulder, too.

I was relieved when we finally got on board and found seats together in the back of the bus. We stowed our backpacks. Annabeth kept slapping her Yankees cap nervously against her thigh.

As the last passengers got on, Annabeth clamped her hand onto my knee. "Percy."

An old lady had just boarded the bus. She wore a crumpled velvet dress, lace gloves, and a shapeless orange-knit hat that shadowed her face, and she carried a big paisley purse. When she tilted her head up, her black eyes glittered, and my heart skipped a beat.

It was Mrs. Dodds. Older, more withered, but definitely the same evil face.

Behind her came two more old ladies: one in a green hat, one in a purple hat. Otherwise, they looked exactly like Mrs. Dodds—same gnarled hands, paisley handbags, wrinkled velvet dresses.

They sat in the front row, right behind the driver. The two on the aisle crossed their legs over the walkway, making an X. It was casual enough, but it sent a clear message: nobody leaves. The bus pulled out of the station, and we headed through the slick streets of Manhattan.

I pulled out my pen and looked at Annabeth. She nodded and whispered, "When they come down the aisle, we strike."

"Are you guys nuts? You do know it's the Furies we're talking about? We can't fight them!" Grover said panicked.

We hit the Lincoln Tunnel, and the bus went dark except for the running lights down the aisle. It was eerily quiet without the sound of the rain. Mrs. Dodds got up. In a flat voice, as if she'd rehearsed it, she announced to the whole bus, "I need to use the rest-room."

"So do I," said the second sister.

"So do I," said the third sister.

They all started coming down the aisle. I looked at Annabeth, who took her dagger out from her sleeve. I prepared to take off the cap of Riptide. Grover took out a tin can and went into a throwing position.

Just before Mrs. Dodds was right next me, the three old women changed. Their faces were still the same—I guess those couldn't get any uglier— but their bodies had shriveled into leathery brown hag bodies with bat's wings and hands and feet like gargoyle claws. Their handbags had turned into fiery whips.

Mrs. Dodds prepared to lash her whip at us, but before she could, I took off the cap. Riptide went straight through her, she screamed, and exploded into dust.

Annabeth lunged at the second Fury and tried to get an opening at her. Grover threw a tin can at the third one's face and she stumbled back. I took that as my chance to attack her, but then I heard Annabeth scream. She was on her back and Fury #2's whip wrapped her wrist. Annabeth's dagger clattered out of her hand. Any second now, Annabeth would be done for.

I jumped on the back of Fury #2 in a wrestling hold and Grover ripped the whip out of her hands.

"Ow!" he yelled. "Ow! Hot! Hot!"

Fury #3 recovered from the tin can to the face and lunged at me with talons ready.

"Percy, watch out!" Annabeth screamed. I jumped off Fury #2's back and ducked immediately. Fury #3 talons went into Fury # 2's back just missing my head and she exploded into dust.

Thunder shook the bus. The hair rose on the back of my neck. Oh no, my spider sense is tingling.

"Guys! We should leave, as in right now!" I yelled.

We rushed outside and found the other passengers wandering around in a daze, arguing with the driver, or running around in circles yelling, "We're going to die!" A Hawaiian-shirted tourist with a camera snapped my photograph before I could recap my sword.

"Our bags!" Grover realized. "We left our—"

_BOOOOOM! _

The windows of the bus exploded as the passengers ran for cover. Lightning shredded a huge crater in the roof, but an angry wail from inside told me The Fury was not yet dead.

"Run!" Annabeth said. "She's calling for reinforcements! We have to get out of here!"

We plunged into the woods as the rain poured down, the bus in flames behind us, and nothing but darkness ahead.


End file.
